Numb
by PeggsterLover
Summary: Songfic - 'Numb' by Linkin Park. Slight hurt!Dean, thought it described the relationship between Dean and John - Dean following in his dad's footsteps. This was initially only a short piece, but I ended up adding a storyline and now its longer. R&R plz :


_Was listening to the song and thought that it fitted Dean's relationship with John. It was initially only going to be sort, but as I wrote it, it kind of expanded into a longer fic with more of a storyline. Hope you like it, please R&R =)_

Numb

"Dean! Where do you think you're going?"

"For a drive."

"Dean!"

But Dean ignored his dad's yells. He slammed the motel room door and stormed to the Impala. He and his dad didn't get into fights often, but since Sam left they seemed to happen every other day. Dean climbed into the car, started the engine and drove off, not once looking back.

Dean had always been the good son. Sam was the one who caused problems with dad. Yet when Sam went away, it seemed that no matter what Dean did, it was wrong. Was he a substitute for Sam or something?

He was sick of being stuck in his dad's shadow; having to be exactly like him since before he could remember. He did exactly as he was told, no questions asked, yet he received little gratitude.

The silence became unbearable so Dean put the stereo on. The song began to play and he recognised it immediately. To take his mind off things, he sang along.

"_I'm tired of being what you want me to be  
Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface  
I don't know what you're expecting of me  
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes_

(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)  
Every step that I take is another mistake to you  
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)

I've become so numb I can't feel you there  
Become so tired so much more aware  
I'm becoming this all I want to do  
Is be more like me and be less like you"

Dean tapped the steering wheel to the music.

"_Can't you see that you're smothering me?  
Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control  
?Cause everything that you thought I would be  
Has fallen apart right in front of you_

(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)  
Every step that I take is another mistake to you  
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)  
And every second I waste is more than I can take

I've become so numb I can't feel you there  
Become so tired so much more aware  
I'm becoming this all I want to do  
Is be more like me and be less like you"

Dean sighed. He pulled over to the side of the isolated road. He turned off the engine, placed his arm on the steering wheel and then rested his forehead on top of his arm. He gave another frustrated sigh. Everything was silent. Not even the sound of the wind. Not even the sound of a car pulling up behind him. He lifted his head and caught a glimpse of the pick up truck in his rear view mirror. A man got out of the drivers seat.

_Great, _he thought, _here comes dad in a stolen car to drag me back to the motel to yell at me. Come on, I'm 25, not 10._

He was about to open the door, when he saw a second man get out of the car. It was then that he realised that it was not his dad. But by then, it was too late.

The driver's door was yanked open and a fist flew in the direction of Dean's face. Before Dean could recover from the blow, an arm grabbed his own and he was pulled from the car. He tried to remain standing, but he was flung to the ground in a heap. As he attempted to get to his feet, he was kicked in the stomach, causing him to groan in pain. He looked up at his attackers and noticed they were a few years older than him. Probably in their early 30's at the most. He had never seen them before; therefore he couldn't understand why they were doing this.

He felt more brutal blows to his face and stomach. Boots hit him all over, he could feel the bruises forming already. His vision was starting to blur and all it took was one more kick to the face and everything went black.

Once the two men were sure that Dean was unconscious, the older of the two signalled to the other to grab him. Dean's limp body was violently picked up and thrown into the trunk of the truck. The younger man turned around to speak to his counter part.

"Hey, Mal…" however he trailed off when he saw his friend lying on the ground, motionless. He turned around quickly and saw a man behind him holding a crowbar. He went to fight the stranger, but was quickly overpowered and pushed against the truck, the man's hand around his throat and the crowbar threateningly close to his face.

"You ever touch my son again, and I'll kill ya. Understand?" when Dean's attacker didn't respond, John tightened his grip on the man's throat. "**Do **you understand!?"

The man frantically nodded and was delivered a swift blow to the head, knocking him out cold.

John walked to the open trunk and saw Dean lying there, a deep cut running above his eyebrow and a bruise was already beginning to show on his cheek. He grabbed his eldest son from the trunk and placed him in the back seat of the Impala. He climbed into the driver's seat and headed back to the motel.

When they arrived, he carried Dean's unconscious form to the room and placed him on the bed. John rested down on a chair facing the bed and watched his son sleep. He sighed with relief. If he hadn't got there when he had, Dean would have been kidnapped by those scumbags and who knows what would have happened to him. John shook himself. Dean was safe and that was the main thing. No 'what-if's'.

It was entirely his fault. If John hadn't been so hard on his son, Dean wouldn't have ran off and ended up in this mess.

He knew Dean was devastated when Sam had left. Even though it had been a while since his youngest had gone, Dean had not been the same. He had tried to act like he didn't care, but John could see right through it. He missed his little brother, and nothing was going to change that. Even though Sam had chosen to go to college, John couldn't help but feel that **he **had pushed his son away. Yet he didn't let Dean know that. He had to be strong, for him. He had a job to do; he wouldn't let his personal feelings get in the way.

But, seeing Dean lying unconscious on that motel bed, John realised that he was very hard on his children. Always had been. Him being their drill sergeant had made them work and hunt efficiently, yet, like this time, it had pushed them into dangerous situations. And that made him feel sick.

"Dad?"

John whipped his head up. "Dean?" his son was slowly lifting himself into a sitting position on the bed. "Hey, are you feeling ok?"

"Uh, yeah, what happened?"

"Two guys beat you up and tried to kidnap you, don't worry, I sorted them out."

Dean looked shocked, but then he gave a grateful smile. "Thanks, Dad." John smiled.

- - - - - -

Later on, John and Dean were packing their things. Dean zipped up his bag and threw it on his shoulder.

"I'm gonna go throw this in the trunk."

"Sure thing." John replied. Dean walked toward the door but just before he left the room, John called him back. "Dean?"

"Yes sir?"

"I'm sorry." Dean gave a soft smile and nodded.

"Thanks." And he disappeared.

- - - - - - -

_Hope you enjoyed it, thanks for reading._

_Keep smiling :)_

_xoxo_


End file.
